Fallen Angels
by Leia Avenrose
Summary: *Chp 3*// It seemed like he was going to lose her. Again? How is he going to protect the young woman that means so much to him deep down from falling into the hands of death? What does he have to do? r&r...
1. ~**~Prologue/Chapter 1~**~Dreams or just...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from Legend of Dragoon......  
Dedication: To....you, the reader....*grins*  
  
(A/N** I need at least 5 to 10 more reviews so I can post the next chapter. I apologize for this, but I need reviews....I'd really appreciate it too, because I'd like to hear what you guys thought of my first attempt @ a D/S fic and also this is my very first LOD fic, so please be gentle...I can't stand people who critise me for what I do..Thanx a bunch)  
  
~**~The Fallen Angel~**~  
  
  
~**~Prologue~**~  
  
~**~Dreams or just visions?~**~  
  
He bolted up in the bed. Hie bare chest bathed in a light sweat, his short blonde hair matted to his head, bathed as well. The sheets were tangled around his long legs. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around, only to find his room the same as it was was left when he had drifted off into a deep sleep.  
  
It was that dream again. The one where he would run after her, chasing her for some unknown reason. Then it would come. The clouds would open and the light would pounce down on her, engulfing her in it's light. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed to the ground. His sword was drawn, but he couldn't run to her and save her. She would be gone for good if he didn't do anything.  
  
In the past, he had promised her. Promised her that he would protect her, be there for her when she was down or needed a friend. But it looked like he wasn't going to be there for her this time. He could hear her pleas of help and of pain as she was lifted up into the air. Tears would brim his dark, mysterious eyes as he stood there watching, helpless.  
  
" Dart! You promised...why aren't you here? Dart!! ", she cried out to him in a scared voice. " Don't let them take me...not again, Dart! "  
  
All he could do was close his eyes against the tears and against her pleas. The insides of his lids where a light violet as the light shone brightly. Then, it would disappear into the sky and he would sink to his knees, on the ground, sobbing like a child as he realized that she was gone.  
  
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dream. He leaned over and placed his head in his hands.   
  
" I....I wasn't able to help. She counted on me, and I let her down....I promised! ", he cried out suddenly as he clenched his hands into tight fists and slammed them down onto the bed.  
  
" Believe in yourself....", a soft voice whispered as a light cool breeze floated into the room, causing the curtains to sway lightly." Believe and you will succeed. "  
  
He shook his head and muttered, " I have nothing to believe...there's nothing there. "  
  
" No...."  
  
" What are you talking about? What do you want! ", he looked up, searching for whoever was there. He found no one.  
  
" You know who I'm talking about, Dart. I want to help you succeed. "  
  
He shook his head, " I...I don't understand. "  
  
" You will in time...you will in time. ", the voice assured him gently.  
  
" Who are we talking about? "  
  
" Your angel, Dart..."  
  
He lifted an eyebrow, fully awake now, " Angel? I have no angel..."  
  
There was a light chuckle that filled the room with the sounds of thousands of twinkling silver bells, " You're wrong again. You have an angel. She loves you very dearly, Dart. Why can't you sense her love for you? "  
  
He groaned, " I'm not capable of love. And I don't have an angel! ", he muttered stubbornly.  
  
Another chuckle.  
  
" What's so funny? I find nothing amusing about this. ", he said as he untangled his legs from the sheets and swung them over the side of the bed.  
  
" There's nothing funny at all. Your dream will come true in time, my friend. If you want to save your...friend, then you must believe in yourself and in the others. "  
  
He shook his head again, " I'll say it again. I have nothing to believe in. There's nothing inside of me that is worth believeing in. "  
  
" There is one thing, Dart..."  
  
" Oh? And that would be? "  
  
A quiet chuckle.  
  
" What now? ", he grounded out under his breath he stood up and walked to the window.  
  
" You will know in time. You will feel -- "  
  
" Feel what? ", he cut it off harshly.  
  
" ....the love...", it replied quietly before it faded out.   
  
Dart blinked and whirled around to look around the room, " Where the hell did you go? "  
  
Silence.  
  
He sighed lightly and turned back to look out the window. He shook his head as he spotted someone tall and feminine walking away from the shadows, ' Did they hear anything I said? What's going to happen? Feel what love....? ', he wondered to himself.  
  
He didn't know what to do. He didn't understand. He would never be able to love....it didn't matter who OR what....he just wasn't capable.  
  
  
  
~**~Chapter 1~**~  
  
~**~Questions~**~  
  
Rose frowned deeply as she sat there, watching Shana as she picked some daisies and put them together as a bouquet. Shana hummed a quiet lullybye to herself as she picked the last daisy. Tying a white ribbon around the stems, she lifted her head to find Rose watching her.   
  
Shana frowned lightly, " What's wrong, Rose? ", she asked quietly.  
  
Rose blinked and shook her head, " Nothing. Just watching you pick your flowers, that's all. "  
  
Shana nodded and stood up, brushing the grass from her bare long legs. She bent back down and picked up the small basket only to place the bouquet into it. She turned around and walked up to Rose. She reached into her basket and plucked out a daisy.   
  
Shana smiled gently and handed the flower to her, " Here you go, Rose. You should smile more often. You'd be a lot more beautiful if you wiped that grim look off your face and replaced it with a smile. "  
  
Rose just cocked her head to the side and gently took the flower from Shana, " Thank you Shana. But I don't want to be beautiful. I'm not beautiful at all, so there'd be no point in me smiling. "  
  
Shana bit her lip, " I... I'm sorry. "  
  
Rose shook her head, " It's alright. You have no reason to be sorry. You're only trying to help..."  
  
Shana smiled lighlty, nodded, and gently brushed past her to head back into the little village of Neet. Dart, Rose, Meru, and herself all helped to rebuild it and make it a little bit more comfortable to live in, with the help of King Albert. Shana spotted Dart bent over, trousling the light coloured hair of little Zidu. She smiled lightly as she walked up behind him slowly, holding her basket tightly in her hands.  
  
" Dart..."  
  
Dart stood up straight and whirled around to face her," Hello, Shana....."  
  
Shana smiled, " How are you doing? "  
  
Dart shrugged and looked at the ground, " Not bad. Just looking over the village, like I'm suppose too..."  
  
Shana nodded, " I understand. ", she watched him as he began to kick at some pebbles on the grouned. " Dart? Something's bothering you... I can feel it. What's wrong? ", her soft voice full of concern.  
  
Dart looked up at her and shook his head as he brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, " Nothing's wrong, Shana. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself....", he reminded her.  
  
Shana suddenly frowned deeply, " You're lying to me....", she pouted. " That unfair, Dart! "  
  
Dart sighed and held his arms up, " I'm sorry, Shana. I really am, but.... I have to go now. I'm suppose to go and meet my grandfa..er, I mean Haschel..."  
  
Shana lifted an eyebrow and blinked, " You aren't going to tell me, are you? "  
  
" I'm sorry... I-I'll make it up to you later. Alright? "  
  
Shana nodded and sighed, " Alright.... alright. "  
  
Dart smiled, " Thanks Shana. You're the best..."  
  
Shana smiled lightly and shrugged as she muttered under her breath, " I guess that's all I'll ever be to you... the best and a sister..."  
  
Dart knitted his light brows together as he watched her expression of sadness, " What? Did I say something wrong? "  
  
Shana looked up at him and shook her head, " No... I thought you had to go? "  
  
Dart nodded, " I do... just making sure if you were talking to me or something...", he turned and waved over his shoulder as he began to jog towards the fields. " Later Shana! "  
  
Shana waved back and then sighed heavily as he disappeared from sight. Her hand dropped to her side and she turned to head back to her house. Zidu watched her with confusion in his wide green eyes, " Where you go, Shanie? "  
  
Shana stopped, " Home...", she replied softly.  
  
" Oh. Something's wrong.... what is wrong? "  
  
Shana shook her head and continued to walk, muttering under her breath, " I only wish to be loved and appreciated for who I really am..."  
  
***  
  
Haschel frowned and scratched his head, " Claire... what's wrong? You seem... distracted by something..."  
  
Claire's head shot up and she looked at her father, " Oh nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired at the moment..."  
  
Haschel smiled lightly, " You don't have to finish your studies today. There's always tomorrow. ", he reminded her.  
  
Claire shook her head and gazed at her father with light blue eyes, " But I have to. I can't let you down. And besides... Dart's suppose to be meeting you, remember? "  
  
" It's alright if you're just going to lay down and rest. There's no need to overwork yourself....", he nodded. " Yeah.... I just still can't believe it.... "  
  
Claire shrugged and nodded, " Huh?.... oh, I know... but we all have to learn to accept the truth, don't we? "  
  
Haschel crossed his arms over his chest and watched her with deep, caring dark eyes, " He's my grandson and I didn't even know about it, until you told us...", he frowned deeply. "....don't you miss him? "   
  
Claire sighed lightly and then looked down at the ground as she bit her lip, " Zieg? Yeah...I miss him. I'm just proud of him...for sacrifing himself for Dart... I mean, he wouldn't be here if Zieg hadn't done it.... "  
  
Haschel smiled lightly and nodded as he walked up to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, " I know, dear, I know. I miss him too. I'm sure we all do. But you have to realize that Dart isn't a little kid anymore. Not like he used to be...."  
  
Claire chuckled lightly, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard, " I know... he's an adult now and that's all that matters, right? I mean there is Shana.... or Rose..."  
  
Haschel hugged her back gently and patted her on the back a couple of times, after laughing, " Claire, I don't think Dart would go for Rose. I wouldn't let him...."  
  
Claier kissed him on the cheek, " Why not? ", she asked, slightly puzzled as she left the comfort of his arms. " What's wrong with her? "  
  
Haschel shook his head, " Well... let's just say she's older then me..."  
  
Claire lifted an eyebrow, " How? "  
  
Haschel chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, " She's over ten thousand years old, Claire.... you think Dart would go out with someone THAT old? "  
  
Claire blinked and her mouth fell open, " I...I don't think so. Not if she's THAT old...", she chuckled, trying to think about what was just said. " I'd better go off now. I think I'm going to go lay down now. If Dart stops by sometime later on, tell him I said hello... and that I love him. "  
  
Hachel nodded and watched as she turned and left him to go to her room. He shook his head and mumbled under his breath as he frowned lightly, " Just like her mother... in so many ways too. Just like Dart...."  
  
***  
  
Meru pursed her lips together tightly and watched as Lloyd paced the floor. His head was bowed and his hands were clasped tightly behind his back. His short Platinum hair fell in front of his eyes as he blinked every now and then.  
  
" Llyod? What's wrong? ", she asked gently.  
  
He stopped pacing and looked up at her, slightly startled, " Uh, nothing. I'm....just thinking. That's all. "  
  
She lifted a white brow, " Thinking? About who? Or what? "  
  
He reached up and brushed aside some the hair from his eyes, " No one important..."  
  
" That's a big help, Lloyd! ", she frowned.  
  
" I'm sorry, Meru. I was thinking about Dart..."  
  
" Dart?! ", she voiced her thoughts. " Why him? "  
  
He shrugged, " I...that's the thing. I don't know...."  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest, " Well, then why are you thinking about him? "  
  
" I...don't...know! ", he repeated, more slowly this time.  
  
She blinked and then shrugged, " Alright, fine! Be that way, Lloyd. Winglies shouldn't be keeping things from other fellow Winglies. " , she reminded him, mumbling.  
  
" Again, I apologize, Meru..."  
  
She nodded, " Forgiven, Lloyd....will you explain to me what really is bugging you? "  
  
" Dart...", he stated simply.  
  
" Dart? What did he do to you? "  
  
" Nothing. I just...I had a dream last night. Something about Dart and...Shana...."  
  
" Shana? Now it's Shana AND Dart? "  
  
He shook his head, " No. It was mostly about Dart..."  
  
She frowned, " You're confusing me now, Lloyd..."  
  
He nodded, " That's why I didn't want to explain it to you, but you only insisted...as usual. "  
  
She sighed, " whatever. I'm going for a walk. I'll leave you alone, so you can think and wonder about Dart..."  
  
He shrugged lightly, " As you wish, Meru. As you wish..."  
  
She nodded. She walked over to the door, picked up her hammer, placed it over her shoulder and stepped out into the bright sun. Lloyd watched her leave before he looked up at the ceiling, " Dart, my friend. If only you'd believe...", he muttered out loud.  
  
****************************************************************************  
  
Rose closed her eyes as she leaned back against the tree, trying to catch up on some missed rest. She frowned lightly as she felt something shake in her pouch. She sighed, opened an eye, and then reached down into the pouch to pull out her dark Dragoon Spirit. It shook and glowed brightly as she held it in her hand and then confused beyond belief.  
  
She frowned deeply to find Dart walking down the path, awwy from her. She bit her lip, looked down at the glowing jewel and then back up at Dart's back, whispering lightly to it, " It's him, isn't it? He's the next victim isn't he? B-but why? "  



	2. Innocence is such a precious thing

Disclaimer: I wonder what would happen if I...er....nevermind.....  
Dedication: To....you, the reader and the reviwer....^.^  
  
  
~**~Chapter 2~**~  
  
~**~Innocence is such a precious thing~**~  
  
Shana hummed gently to herself as she made her way to the back of her house. She needed to find herself a vase for the flowers she had picked earlier today. She knew she had one somewhere in the back, she just didn't know where....  
  
The front door suddenly opened and then closed loudly. She jumped slightly, blinked, and then frowned deeply, ' It's probably just Zidu looking for another place to spend the night.... ', she thought to herself, trying to push back the immediate panic that had risen goosebumps to her flesh, and sent shivers down her spine.  
  
She reached out and her hand brushed against something smooth and a smile crept onto her lips. She then grabbed the crystal vase and dropped the flowers inside. She carried the vase as she turned and made her way back to the front where the kitchen was, to put some water into the vase for the flowers.  
  
She looked up as she walked through the doorway leading to the kitchen and gasped loudly. The vase slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces at her sock covered feet. She blinked and a warmness crept into her cheeks, " D-dart! ", she exclaimed. " I...you scared me. What are you doing here? At this time of night too? "  
  
Dart stared back at her. The oil lamp that was lit sat on the table and the flame casted eerie shadows across his expressionless face. Shana squinted as she looked at him. She then shook her head and bent down to pick up the large pieces of glass.  
  
Dart smirked, walked up to her and bent down to help. She smiled lightly, " Thank you, Dart. ", she murmured softly as his fingers brushed up against her trembling ones.  
  
He remained silent. His hand came down onto hers and grasped it tightly. The piece of glass she was holding dug deep into her palm and she cried out in pain. The glass then fell from her palm to the ground as she wrenched her hand from his, jumped up and ran to the sink to pour cold water over it.  
  
Dart followed slowly, keeping his dark eyes on her the whole time. Shana cursed lightly as she turned the tap on full and stuck her hand underneath it. Blood mingled with water as it flowed from her wound and dripped into the sink. Dart came up from behind her, reached out to turn the tap off and then gently grabbed her injured hand in his.  
  
Blood fell from her cut and trickled down his hand as he reached out, grabbed a T-towel and wrapped it around her wound. Shana swallowed and watched him, " D-dart...", she whispered shakily. " You've gotten blood....all over your hand now..."  
  
He remained silent. He only shrugged lightly and looked down into her wide eyes. His arm snaked around her waist and he pressed her to his armor clad body. Shana blinked, not knowing what to do or say, ' What the.... '  
  
Dart reached over, placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face higher up. He then lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply. His soft lips suddenly parted and his warm tongue flicked out to softly graze her lower lip, seeking entry, which was given immediately. Shana felt him rub his tongue against hers in a manner she didn't even know that he pocessed or knew of.  
  
His hand slid from her chin to slid down her front and cup her left breast. Shana began to pull away, but Dart's arm tightened around her waist and he squeezed her breast hard, causing her to whimper. She felt a large bulge in his pants as her bare thigh rubbed up against it. She thought about kneeing him one, but she thought again.  
  
Silent alarms went off in her head and she now began to struggle against him, ' This isn't right....what's going on? Why's he going so....fast? '  
  
Dart's hand slid from her breast to unbutton the small buttons on the front of her short mini-top that went just above her navel with one hand. He was making fast progress and that worried Shana. When he undid the last one, he shoved aside the shirt to reach in and grasp her breast again.  
  
Shana stopped struggling and just let him have his way as his mouth moved from her now bruised lips and as his arm slipped from her waist. She took a step back and he reached out to slide the shirt from her shoulders. It fell to the ground and he stood there staring at her lace and silk covered breasts.  
  
A smirk came onto his lips as he stepped toward her and gathered her in his arms. He reached up behind her and undid the metal clasp to her bra. Shana bit her lip and closed her eyes, ' Oh god, no...', she thought as he caught her hurting lips in his, sliding the bra from her body.  
  
The cold armor brushed against her erect, peaked nipples as he pressed her to him again. He then bent down, scooped her into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom. When they made their way into the bedroom, Dart carried her to the bed only to dump her uncerimoniless on it's welcoming softnes.  
  
Shana frowned deeply as she sat up and watched him cross the room and close the door, making it sure it was locked. Shana blinked at him as he made his way to her, stripping himself of the red armor. It fell to the ground loudly. Shana suddenly grabbed the blanket and tried to cover herself, but it was no use. Dart reached out and ripped it from her body.  
  
Her arms immediately went to cover her aching breasts that cried out for attention, but he reached out, grabbed them, and pinned them over her head as he straddled her. He licked his lips and then lowered his mouth to capture one of her aching breasts into it's warmth and moistness.  
  
Shana sucked in a sharp breath and let it out as a moan as Dart's tongue teased the hard nipple, outlining the auroele and then suckling her entire breast greedily. Shana heard herself cry out as she bucked her hips against him. He let out a low chuckle against her breast and bucked his hips down against hers and brought another moan from her lips, only this one was stiffled.  
  
She wanted to have him inside of her now, but there was something about him that didn't seem right to her. It was like his personality had been replaced with something else. She gave herself a mental shake and then suddenly moaned again as Dart bent over and began to nip and tease her neck. This was going to be the most happiest night of her life if Dart kept up doing what he was doing to her.  
  
***  
  
Dart hummed quietly to himself as he trudged down the path towards his house in the now quiet little village. All the lights had been extinguished a long time ago. It was getting really late and he found himself yawning loudly while he walked. He suddenly smiled to himself, thinking that he should just ignore his grandfather's request in joining him tomorrow morning for the early practice by sleeping in really late.  
  
He reached up and scratched the back of his neck as he walked past the little houses in the village. He frowned deeply and his hand fell from his neck to lay, hanging at his side. His eyes strayed on Shana's little house, in the far corner, a couple of houses down from his own. In the front window, he could see the dim light of her oil lamp and this worried him, for Shana was a early sleeper.  
  
He cocked his head to the side, as if taken aback by the light. He stopped suddenly and watched the window for a shadow or something. He saw no one. He bit his lip, thousands of thoughts flowing through his mind, ' Why's her light still on? She's never up this late. What's the deal with this? '  
  
He slowly made his way towards the house, with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword for mere comfort. He walked up the steps quietly, moving with the slick grace of a cat. He reached out and his hand grasped the doorknob firmly. He breathed in deeply before twisting the knob to the side and then pushing the door open.....  
  
***  
  
Rose blinked and watched in silence. Ever since the night she heard him talking to...well, no one in his bedroom, she had kept a close eye on him. She didn't want anything bad to happen to him, if he was chosen to become the next victim. It was just too much that she could bear.  
  
She watched as he walked up the steps with uncertainty. She could feel the uncertainty and confusion radiating off of him and she was now soaking it all up. She wondered what was really going on in Shana's house. She also knew that Shana didn't stay up this late.  
  
' But why is her oil lamp still on? Does she have a late-night visitor? ', Rose shook her head as these thoughts poured into her mind all at once.  
  
She blinked again and leaned in closer to watch Dart as he opened the door and disappeared into the house. She then sat back on her hunches and waited in the darkness of the bushes for what was going to happen. She could feel something coming from that house. But what was it? She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but she figured it was just Shana again.  
  
' But how can it be her again. She was already victim to it.....'  
  
She shook her head again and scratched her chin as she waited with patience. She had learned to live with waiting for over the past ten thousand years. She heard Dart call out Shana's name and that brought a smirk to Rose's lips as she leaned back against the tree, with her eyes closed.   
  
She felt something shake against her leg and she sighed lightly. She reached down and opened her pouch to reveal the bright glowing light of her Dragoon Spirit. She shook her head and then looked over at the house. She bit her lip hard and then sighed heavily. Maybe she had a way of stopping whatever was suppose to happen to him. Maybe she could...sacrifice herself for him.   
  
' Maybe he's the one who I've been waiting for. Maybe he's the one who can relieve me of my pain. My internal suffering....', she thought with some hope.  
  
***  
  
At the sound of the voice,Shana's eyes flew open and she knitted her brows together, " D-dart? Did you just call my name? ", she asked him as he began to quickly slip her short shorts from her long legs.  
  
He looked up at her and nodded, suddenly speaking for the first time that night, he whispered gently as he trailed kisses down her trembling thighs, " I...yes. It was me. Was I...too loud? ", he wondered as he quickly discarded the shorts on the ground.  
  
She giggled lightly and shook her head, " No. It's alright. I'd rather have it where you're screaming out my name instead of some other girl's....", she admitted shyly.  
  
He nodded and then looked down at her black, lacy panties. They kinda resembled bikini bottoms. He reached out to tug at them, to get them off, but the voice called out again, causing him to freeze in midair. Shane looked down at him and then sat up quickly. She looked at Dart, frowning deeply now, " That wasn't you...was it? "  
  
He swallowed lightly and then cursed loudly. Shana gasped lightly and began to pull away from him, but he reached out, placing a harsh hand over her mouth. He looked into her wide, frightened eyes, and placed a finger to his lips. He shook his head, " Don't, say, a word! I will kill you if you do, Shana. I will, I swear you to it. ", he whispered harshly, causing a bit of spit to land on her cheek by her ear.  
  
She flinched, swallowed thickly and nodded. Tears brimmed her eyes and she reached out to grasp a blanket and shield her naked body, but Dart shook his head and ripped it from her hands with his free hand. Shana was truely frightened. She had never seen Dart this....crude in her entire life that she had known him, so threatening...it scared her. The silent alarms went off in her mind again and this time she lashed her foot out at him, catching him square in the gut.  
  
He was slightly stunned, but it wasn't enough to push him away from her. His hand slipped from her mouth and she drew in a deep breath and then let it out as a trembling scream, " HELPP!! "  
  
Wack!! His hand connected with the side of her delicate face and she cried out. Her hand went to the side of her face as she began to cry. Dart looked at her, his face slightly flushed as he reached out, gripped her arms and then threw her to the ground. The blanket tangled around her legs and went down with her. Her head hit the ground and then bounced off.  
  
Coloured spots danced before her eyes and she groaned loudly. Her eyes closed for a minute or two and she was left in total darkness.  
  
***  
  
' Shana! ', he screamed out in his mind. ' What the hell is going on? '  
  
He quickly made his way towards the back of the house, and then turned left to find himself standing in front of a closed door. His pulse raced as he began to inhale deeply, trying to calm it down. She was in trouble. She needed him to protect her.  
  
He reached out to turn the knob, but it wouldn't turn. It was locked. He suddenly growled under his breath and then brought his leg up and kicked at the door, " Shana! ", he cried out.  
  
It flew up and off it's hinges, landing on the ground beside the little square, oak table standing between the closet and door. His eyes scanned the room and he spotted a shadowed figure about his height and with his muscle build making it's way towards the open window in the far end of the room.   
  
He narrowed his eyes and then ran into the room, " You! ", he cried to the figure that froze as he heard the voice.   
  
" Stop right there! What did you do to Shana? "  
  
The figure turned slowly to face him and the moonlight streaming into the room fell onto his face and revealed his features. Dart blinked, and cocked his head to the side, now completely taken aback by what he was seeing. He lifted a hand and pointed a finger at the figure then at himself, " Y-you're...me? But how? "  
  
The figure then snickered evilly, shrugged, and began to slowly back up, towards the open window. Dart took a step towards him and shook his head, " You're not going anywhere. You're going to come with me. You have a lot of explaining to do...", he told the figure.  
  
The figure continued to snicker. Shana groaned loudly, opened an eye, sat up slowly, and looked at the retreating figure at the window to Dart making his way towards it. She blinked a couple of times to get rid of the coloured spots and then looked at Dart. Her mouth fell open and she backed up against the bed as much as she could.  
  
The figure then lifted his hand and waved goodbye to Dart as he leaned back against the window seat and fell out of the room through the window, backwards. Dart cursed and ran to the window, only to find no one laying on the ground, or running away from the house. He slammed his fists down onto the windowseat and then sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.  
  
He turned around and found Shana peering over at him from over the top of the messed up bed. He looked at her and noticed in the moonlight that she was bleeding from her nose and from her bottom lip. He took in the sight of her; the messed up hair, the frightened look of a little child, her lower lip as it trembled, the tears that now began to form in her eyes.  
  
He quickly crossed the room and rushed over to her. He didn't know she was comepletely naked except for a pair of panties as he knelt down in front of her trembling form. He reached out and gingerly touched her bruised cheek, looking into her eyes, he asked gently, " D-did he hurt you? Besides for the lip and cheek, I mean..."  
  
She sniffled lightly and looked at the ground. Dart frowned deeply and then let his fingers slide down her cheek to rest under her chin as he lifted her face up so he could look at her, " Hey...come on now. I'm here now, aren't I? "  
  
Her bottom lip trembled even more as she shook her head, choked out a sob and threw herself into his arms. She buried her face into his neck and shoulder and sobbed loudly and uncontrolably. Dart's arms went around her waist as he pulled to him. As his fingers slid across her smooth and bare flesh, it was then he realised that she was naked. He swallowed thickly and shook his head.   
  
He soothed her and stroked her hair gently, " Hush now...it's alright. I'm here now, I'm not going to leave you again....", he whispered into her hair.  
  
Her sobs died down and she just sat there in his arms hiccuping quietly. He found it rather cute. The last time he heard her hiccup after she cried her heart out was when he scared her by being stupid. He had jumped out of a tree in the shallow end of the lake and resurfaced after five minutes of being underwater.  
  
He closed his eyes and realized that she was slowly falling asleep. He sighed lightly and began to rock back and forth gently and smoothly, as he reached out and grasped the blanket, bringing it around her body. She let out a little breath and it tickled his neck as he wrapped the blanket around her slender figure.  
  
' In the morning. ', he thought. ' I'll ask her what happened, even though I'm starting to get a clear picture....'  
  
She was leaning against him now, all her weight of only 110lbs pressed against him. He shook his head lightly and smiled to himself as he brought her onto his lap and then scooped her into his arms. He laid her down on the bed with the blanket wrapped around her body and he stood there gazing at her.  
  
' She was....raped....that's what I'm thinking....', he thought to himself as he self-consciously reached down and caressed her smooth cheek.   
  
There was a light breeze in the room and it drifted across his own cheek, " What do you think you're doing? "  
  
Dart snatched his hand back and whirled around to see who was there. Realizing who IT really was, he snorted and then shook his head, " I'm watching over her...like I told her I would do....", he replied quietly.  
  
There was a low chuckle this time, " Really? You sure it's watching OVER her and not AT her? ", it asked.  
  
Dart rolled his eyes, " She's like a little sister to me, alright? Don't you understand? I can't love her..."  
  
" Why not? "  
  
Dart remained silent as he turned from the bed and made his way to the door. He frowned deeply as he just remembered he had busted her door. He quickly made a mental note of coming back tomorrow and fixing it. He made his way down the hall and entered the kitchen. He felt something soft smush underneath his boot and he looked down to find Shana's bra and shirt laying on the ground.   
  
He frowned and then bent down to pick them up and place them on the kitchen table. He yawned lightly and then made his way from the house as he stepped through the door and walked down the small set of stairs. The voice followed him, " You know you can't run from it. You know what will happen when she falls..."  
  
Dart's eyes began to feel heavy and he frowned, " When who falls? "  
  
" Your angel...", it stated simply.  
  
" Oh, not that again! ", he nearly cried out in disbelief. " I have no angel. Why do you always pester me? Don't you have some breeze you have to go fly away on? "  
  
There was a chuckled and Dart shook his head as he slowly made his way up his own small set of stairs, " I don't think this is funny. With you buggin me and all, telling me that I all of a sudden that I have an angel...", he waved his hand in the air.  
  
" I didn't say it was funny. I'm just saying that if you don't start taking this serious, then the one you truely love will fall or even perish from your life foreve, Dart. I'm just warning you ahead of time. I've seen it happen. I just don't want to have to watch you go through it again..."  
  
What was last said made Dart stop dead in his tracks, " A-again? ", he whispered hoarsely.  
  
" Yeah. This is what I've been trying to get through to you....it happened once, and it's going to happen again..."  
  
" With who though...I don't understand...", Dart replied quietly as he reached out and opened his door.  
  
" Well...I'm not really from your time, Dart. I'm from the near future that'll be coming up anytime soon...and it's happened already from where I came from. It's going to happen here and I wanted to warn you...ahead of time so you don't fall...v-victim..."  
  
" Who are you? "  
  
" I...I'm just someone who's watching out for you, that's all you need to know, Dart...", it replied softly.  
  
Dart just nodded and remained silent as he slipped the red armor over his head and dropped it to the ground as he entered his bedroom. He stripped off the thin T-shirt that clung to his body like a second skin and then he kicked off his boots. He sighed heavily as he turned his back to the bed and fell back onto it.  
  
" What do I do now? ", he wondered out loud.  
  
Silence was the only thing that answered him, and that satisfied him...somewhat.  



	3. Were you afraid of losing her?

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Dragoon.....  
Dedication: To Taemyr, Zidane's Dagger, Siena, and Tira_Mearl_Festa....and to you; the reader and the reviewer.  
  
  
  
~**~Chapter 3~**~  
  
~*~Were you afraid of losing her?~*~  
  
Shana groaned lightly as the bright sunlight flowed into her room from the open window. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Her left hand throbbed as she tried to curl her hand into a fist. Shana grimaced and slowly got out of the bed, with the sheet wrapped around her body.  
  
Shana walked over to her closet and pulled out a light blue sundress that ended at her knees. She saw the bruise on the side of her face as she walked over to the full length mirror and she stared. Shana was confused. Her body hurt in many places and now she had a bruise on her cheek?  
  
' When did this happen? ', she thought as she reached up to gingerly finger the light violet bruise.  
  
Shana shrugged and slipped into the dress. She threw the sheet onto the bed and went to open her door, but she found her door on the ground beside the doorway, propped up against the wall. Shana frowned deeply and walked through the doorway towards the kitchen.   
  
Shana found her shirt folded neatly on the table and she cocked her head to the side, " What's going on? What happened last night? ", she wondered outloud.  
  
Shana shook her head and slipped her bare feet into a pair of strappy black sandals. She opened the door to find the little village bustling with excitement of a new day. Shana smiled lightly and stepped out onto the porch. She pulled the door closed and grabbed her basket by the small set of stairs.   
  
Shana was going to go pick some more flowers. She walked down at the path and hummed a quiet lullybye to herself as she kicked at some stones. Zidu ran by chased closely by Dart's mother. Shana chuckled and shook her head, smiling, " What fun that must be....I wonder where Rose is...or Dart.... "  
  
Shana continued to walk. Something was tugging at the back of her mind and it was really annoying her. She shook her head again. Shana sighed quietly and then scratched her cheek, only to wince as she applied pressure to her bruise.  
  
The sounds of light approaching footsteps caused her to stop in her tracks and then whirl around. She found herself staring at Dart, who was watching her. Shana blinked and then coughed lightly, " D-dart.... "  
  
Dart bit his lip and he suddenly felt sorry for the girl, " Shana. How are you feeling today? "  
  
Shana shrugged, " I don't know.....okay I guess.... "  
  
Dart nodded and took a step towards her. Shana suddenly shook her head and took a step back. Dart swallowed and sighed, " Look...I'm really sorry about last night.... "  
  
Shana blinked, " What are you talking about? "  
  
It was Dart's turn to blink, ' She doesn't remember? '  
  
" Dart? You alright...you look...pale. "  
  
Dart shook his head hard and looked at her, " You mean you don't remember....? "  
  
Shana lifted an eyebrow and gripped the handle of her basket tightly, " I...don't believe so... "  
  
" Shana.... ", Dart whispered lightly but went silent.  
  
Shana looked at him. There were two of him. She shook her head, trying to clear it, but it was no use. Instead of there being two Dart's, there were five. Shana took a step back and stumbled slightly. Dart took a step towards her and saw as she fell back.  
  
Dart ran towards her quickly and caught her just before she could hit the ground. Shana looked up at him and shuddered violently once. Dart watched her and shook his head, " S-shana? What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong! "  
  
Shana opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out, only a small strangled gurgle, followed by blood that trickled down her chin. She closed her mouth and shuddered again. Dart cradled her to him as he drew her into his lap. It felt so nice to be held by him, so close.  
  
Dart reached down to wipe a tear from her cheek that slowly slid from her eye. Shana brought her hand up to grasp his and he felt something warm and wet against his hand. He flipped her hand over and looked down at it. A deep ugly gash in the middle of the palm.  
  
Dart cursed loudly and then felt Shana suddenly go limp in his arms, " Shit. Shana...hey. Wake up, don't go on me just yet. We can take you to see my mother...she'll make you better.... ", he pleaded.  
  
Shana's head fell to the side and there was a sigh of breath that left her lips. Dart shook his head, trying not to think of the unthinkable. He slipped his arm under her knees and picked her up in his arms. Villagers watched as he quickly turned around and hastily ran towards his mother's house, cradling Shana to his chest the entire way there.  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Claire closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair, " Ahhh...no more patients booked for the day....a relief this will be.... ", she muttered happily.  
  
Haschel quietly walked into the room and looked at him daughter, smiling," You don't plan on sleeping, now, do you? "  
  
Claire opened an eye and looked over at him, " And if I do? ", she countered.  
  
Haschel chuckled, " I'll get Dart to wake you up. Trust me. The way he wake's people up is not pleasant.... "  
  
" How so? "  
  
" Let's just say...water...cold.... "  
  
Claire laughed, " He wouldn't dare do that to his poor mother, now would he? "  
  
Haschel shrugged, " He did it to me...so what would stop him from doing it to you? "  
  
Claire opened both her eyes and frowned, " I suppose you're right. I'll just sit here, enjoying the peace and quiet.... "  
  
Haschel opened his mouth to say something, but another loud and desperate voice broke out through the air, " Mother! "  
  
Claire bolted up in her chair and ran to the front door, with Haschel at her heels. They both watched as Dart ran as fast as he could with a girl in his arms. Haschel pushed past Claire and ran to the boy, " What happened? "  
  
Dart shook his head and nodded over to his mother, " We have to get her to bring her back.... "  
  
Haschel looked down at the deathly pale face of Shana and he felt his heart skip a beat, " Did you say...b-bring her back? "  
  
Dart nodded as he took the stairs to the house two at a time, " Yes.... "  
  
Claire opened the door wider and moved to the side so Dart could move into the room. She looked around and then pointed to the bedroom, " There! Quick. Dad...grab me some clothes, warm water, and my sewing kit... "  
  
Haschel nodded and took off. Dart hurried to the bedroom and then gently laid Shana down onto the bed. He looked at his mother as she brushed past him to check for a pulse. Claire shook her head sadly. She reached down with two hands and placed them one over the other over Shana's heart.  
  
Claire took a deep breath and began to push down quickly and hard. Dart watched and licked his lips, " M-mother...is she going to be alright....? "  
  
Claire ignored him and focused on the girl laying under her hands. Haschel returned with the stuff that his daughter had asked for. He placed them on the nightstand beside the bed and backed up, watching from the far wall in the room, with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
Dart felt something in his heart that made it ache as he watched Shana's body jerk with every thrust that his mother gave to her heart. Something snapped in him and he quickly pushed his mother to the side. Dart placed his own hands over her heart and began to push down harder then his mother had, trying with all he had.  
  
Claire backed away from the bed and from her son to stand beside her father. Haschel placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, " It'll be alright.... "  
  
Dart closed his eyes as he continued to try and pump Shana's heart back to life. He pictured him and Shana when they were little, playing or fighting. He didn't want to lose her. Not this way, not now. She was the only one who understood him and his ways.   
  
Dart felt something warm sting his eyes and he heard himself sniffled lightly as a tear slid down his cheek and fell onto Shana's bottom lip. Claire shook her head and walked away from her father. She walked over to Dart and placed a light hand on his shoulder. Dart shrugged it off and continued to push down.  
  
" She's gone, Dart....it's been over five minutes...she'd have premanent brain damage by now... ", Claire mumbled quietly.  
  
Dart shook his head, " I'm not going to believe it. She's not gone. She's strong and she will live! "  
  
Claire sighed in defeat and turned to leave the room. Dart felt another tear slid down his cheek and he opened his eyes to watch as it hit Shana's bottom lip again. He felt something move under his hands and he quickly pulled his hands up. Dart looked at Shana's face and watched as her lips parted, and as her eyelids fluttered open slowly.  
  
Warm brown eyes met his dark ones and he sat down on the bed beside her. Shana blinked and she sucked in a deep breath, letting it out as a quiet groan. Dart sighed in relief and he reached up to wipe away the tears before Shana could see them.  
  
Shana quickly brought a hand up and she lightly grabbed his wrist. She looked into his eyes, " D-dart? What's wrong? Why are you crying? ", her soft voice was slightly hoarse.  
  
Dart sighed lightly and shook his head, " I...I was scared... ", he replied lightly as he bowed his head in shame.  
  
Shana blinked and a small smile came to her lips, " Why? Scare of what? "  
  
" Of losing....you.... ", He whispered. ' What am I saying? '  
  
" Y-you didn't lose me...I'm still here.... "  
  
Dart nodded and lifted his head to looked at her, " I know...now you are... "  
  
Shana cocked her head to the side and her hand slid from his wrist to gently stroke his cheek, " You're never going to lose me, Dart... "  
  
Dart brought a hand up and he covered her hand with his. He squeezed it gently and nodded, " You promise? "  
  
Shana nodded, " Of course! "  
  
Dart smiled lightly and then brought her hand to his lips. He kissed it softly and held it there while he spoke, inhaling the flowery scent of her skin, " Don't go and break this promise, Shana.....please, say you won't. "  
  
Shana's lower lip trembled and she sat up quickly. Her hand slid from his mouth to slid around his neck and link with her other arm as she hugged him hard, " I promise you that too, Dart. ", she whispered into his ear.  
  
Dart hugged her hard, not letting her go once, as if afraid of letting her go, " Oh, Shana.... ", he groaned lightly as he buried his face into the small and delicate curve of her neck.  
  
Shana winced and Haschel noticed this. He walked out of the room to fetch Claire. Shana sighed lightly and gently ran her fingers of her uninjured hand through his hair, " It's going to be alright, Dart... "  
  
Dart nodded and then pulled away to look at her. His eyes searched her face and he saw her blush lightly. Dart chuckled and then stood up from the bed. He sighed, " I think it would be best if you -- "  
  
" Got that hand of yours stitched up, Shana... ", Claire cut her son off from the doorway as she walked into the room.  
  
Shana looked at Claire and frowned, " Stitched up? "  
  
Claire nodded and pushed past her son, " Yes....you were cut pretty bad. "  
  
" Oh... "  
  
Claire looked at Dart and nodded, " I think it's time for you to leave, mister.... "  
  
Dart sighed and then shrugged lightly as he left the room in silence. Haschel followed him, " What's wrong, Dart? "  
  
Dart shook his head, " Nothing.... ", he muttered.  
  
Haschel shook his own head, " That's not true, my boy. You were crying in there. Were you afraid of losing her? "  
  
Dart stopped and then shrugged as he scratched the back of his neck, " Haschel...have you ever been scared in your life? So scared that it...hurts? "  
  
Haschel nodded, " Yes. When your mother disappeared, Dart.... "  
  
" Then....that was what I was feeling back in there when we were trying to get her back.... "  
  
" I noticed. This isn't like you, Dart...to go and...show your feelings for people. Not straight out in the open I mean... "  
  
Dart shrugged, " I know....it was odd. I was...there was something inside of me when I was trying to bring her back that was scaring me... "  
  
Haschel lifted an eyebrow and frowned, " Like what? "  
  
" That fact that I would've lost her forever. Like I was never going to see her smiling face ever again, her sparklig eyes...everything. That's when I broke down. We've been friends since we were little and I don't....know... "  
  
" I understand. You shouldn't feel ashamed of these feelings, Dart. It's normal.... ", Haschel reminded him lightly.  
  
Dart nodded, " I know, I know. It's just that, Shana has never seen me break down like that.... "  
  
Haschel turned his back and began to make his way back towards the bedroom, " There will be more times in the future when she's going to see you like this, Dart. You should be prepared.... "  
  
Dart spun around to face him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Dart was confused, ' What did he just mean? Was he talking about my dreams...or about what the voice was telling me? Is this just the beginning of it all? '  
  
***  
  
" The time is near, Danilo? Is it time yet for them to perish? "  
  
" No... only the girl will perish. It was his fault that he didn't get the job done right with her last night. His mission was to plant the seed of death within the girl so she could bring forth another species of Dragoons... "  
  
" What kind would that be? "  
  
" The Dark Dragoon's are the bringers of death... nothing more, nothing less. They do not save lives, they only take them... "  
  
***  
  
Shana winced and clamped her eyes shut as she felt the needle prick her skin and then begin to draw the torn skin back together. She opened an eye to find Dart's mother deep in concentration as she bent over her work; Shana's hand and tried to finish it quickly.  
  
Claire pulled the needle through one last time before taking the thread into her mouth and biting down on it, ripping it from the needle. She quickly tied the strings into a tight knot and then lifted her head to meet Shana's wondering gaze.   
  
" Is something the matter, Shana? "  
  
Shana blinked and then shook her head as she looked down at the bed, " No... I was just wondering about Dart... that's all. Thank you for fixing my hand, Claire... "  
  
Claire smiled motherly and nodded as she gave Shana's shoulder a gentle, and tender pat, " It'll be alright, Shana. Don't you worry... Dart will come to his sense one of these days and marry you... "  
  
Shana felt her cheeks go warm and she ducked her head, " Plese... he'll never come to his senses about me. It's like I don't even exsist to him. It's like I'm still his little sisterly figure. I hate it! I want something more then being just a little sister.... "  
  
Claire blinked and stared at Shana, completely surprised from the sudden outburst, " W-well... that was something new, Shana. I never knew you cared THAT much for Dart... ", she mumbled lightly, lowering her head before getting up from the chair to carrying her medical supplies to the closet.  
  
Shana bit her lip and shook her head, " It's just so hard having to go through life with him... thinking of you as only being like a little sister. It's so hard to deal with... I just might as well leave and find life in some other country where other men would appreciate me for who I really am... and not just some.. sisterly figure. ", she mumbled herself as she stared down at the nicely down stitches.  
  
Claire bit her lip and sighed as she made her way back to the bedside. She sat down on the chair and reached out to grasp Shana's good hand tightly, " Don't you worry, dear... it'll all work out in time... don't give up on faith. Haschel never did and look what had happened... he found me... we found each other again. Perhaps you and Dart will be able to do that as well... just give it time. "  
  



End file.
